Questions 32A/?, CSI Miami, Calleigh/Natalia, NC-17
Title: Questions 32A/?
Pairing: Calleigh/Natalia
Rating: NC-17
Disclaimer: I don't own them, but I spend a lot of time with them
Archiving: P & P, DuVista, women_in_kevlar, femslash_smut, all others please ask
Natalia awoke the same way that she went to sleep, in a tangle of arms and legs and golden hair. Instinctively, she tightened her arms around the lithe body in her arms. Closing her eyes, she remembered her dream. They had been in Italy and had been walking through fields of wheat and through the gentle rolling countryside. Smiling, Natalia figured that them watching ‘Under the Tuscan Sun’ had influenced her dreams. Rubbing light circles on Calleigh’s back, she could see them vacationing in Italy and Spain sometime in their life together, maybe for their
anniversary. Smiling, she drifted back off to sleep.
Waking in Natalia’s arms still felt like a dream sometimes and Calleigh had to see the blending of their hair and the contrast of their skin tones to believe it. She was always afraid that she would be waking up alone and would have to go back to the way that her life used to be.
Moving carefully, she looked up to see a pair of beautiful brown eyes looking back down at her.
“Good Morning babe. Did you sleep well?”
Reaching up to caress the face above her, Calleigh smiled. “Morning love, yes I did. I dreamed about vineyards for some reason.”
Leaning into the caress, Natalia turned her head slightly to kiss her palm. “I know, I did the same thing. Maybe our dreams are trying to tell us something.”
“Baby, they can tell us anything they want as long as we are together. So what’s on the agenda for today?”
“I’ve got nothing planned until we have to head to the wedding rehearsal and dinner. You?”
Scooting up so that she could look Natalia in the eyes, Calleigh got comfortable before saying. “My outfit for the wedding will be delivered this morning, but other than that, I’m free. Was there anything special that you’d like to do?”
“How about riding the bikes over to the stables and taking the horses out for a run? We can ride for an hour or two, then go to lunch and come back to get ready for tonight?”
Brushing the caramel hair away from Natalia’s forehead, Calleigh smiled as she looked at her love. “Yeah, that sounds good to me. Let me tell you one thing though, I’m not looking forward to spending the night alone in this bed.”
Smiling at the blonde, Natalia’s eyes roamed her face. “We won’t have very many nights apart, my love. This I promise.”
“I know, and I know that I’m being childish, but I don’t like sleeping without you anymore. I like knowing that I’ll wake up in the morning and one of the first things that I see is your face. I’m always afraid that this will all be but a dream and I get to go to work and look at you from afar.”
Leaning forward to capture the tempting lips inches away from her own, Natalia whispered. “We don’t ever have to go back to the way that it was. I couldn’t bear it either, but let’s not even go there as it is something that will never happen. Now what time is your delivery going to get here?”
“How about us getting up and I’ll give them a call? Did you want me to fix breakfast?”
Rolling out of bed, Natalia shook her head. “No, I’ll fix it this morning. You want the usual? Bacon, eggs, bacon, toast and bacon right?”
“Yeah, that’ll be almost right, just don’t forget the bacon.”
Kissing her wife before she headed into the bathroom, Natalia murmured. “Yes dear.”
Lying in the bed for a moment longer, Calleigh looked up at the ceiling and thought about what her life would have been like without Natalia. It would have been work and going home. She would have watched at Natalia from a distance and wondered, ‘what if’. As much as she was a take-charge person at work, she would have never made the first move if it hadn’t been for George Kornspan shooting her at the docks.
Getting out of bed, she quickly made it and headed towards the bathroom, stopping at the doorway, watching her wife get dressed. It was the simple things that took her breath away; the act of Natalia getting dressed, reading a book or even walking across a room. Watching her wife pull her hair back into a ponytail, Calleigh walked forward to wrap her arms around her waist and looked at their reflection in the mirror.
They stared in each other’s eyes in the mirror and didn’t say anything for a while. With that look, it was like they were having a long conversation without words. Natalia placed her arms atop the ones around her waist, rubbing them lightly before she turned to place a gentle kiss upon Calleigh’s lips.
“I’ll go and start breakfast. Don’t be too long.”
“I won’t.”
True to her word, ten minutes later Calleigh walked out of the bedroom, dressed and talking on her phone.
“Sí, y si él pudiera tomar el otro equipo a una dirección diferente, pagaré doble.” “Yes, and if he could take the other outfit to a different address, I'll pay double.”
Looking at her watch, she then motioned to Natalia that she was going into the spare bedroom for a moment.
“Okey, tendré todo lo listo para él cuando él se pone aquí. Gracias.” “Ok, I will have everything ready for him when he gets here. Thank you.”
Closing the phone, Calleigh quickly got the outfit for that evening together with the shoes and accessories and placed them all in a hanging clothes bag, then took it out into the living room to lay it across the sofa.
Walking into the kitchen, she found Natalia plating the food so she reached into the refrigerator, brought out a pitcher of grapefruit juice and poured them a couple of glasses, then took them to the table. Turning back, she was met by her wife, carrying their plates so she sat down and they started to eat.
They had only taken a couple of bites, when there was a knock at the front door. Calleigh quickly got up, grabbed the bag off the sofa, and opened the front door. She exchanged bags with the delivery driver and then handed him some cash. After thanking him, she shut the door and swiftly took that clothing bag into the spare bedroom and hung it up.
Coming back and sitting down, Calleigh had a smug look upon her face, but all Natalia did was arch an eyebrow and continue eating. After finishing breakfast and cleaning up the dishes, they grabbed their helmets, backpacks and went out into the garage to get on their bikes.
Opening the garage door, they walked out to the bikes, and Natalia grabbed a garage door opener from her SUV and put it in her saddlebag.
Throwing a leg over the bike, Calleigh got comfortable before she switched it on and it roared to life. Turning to Natalia, she couldn’t keep the grin from her face as she mouthed. “I love you.”
Natalia grinned right back, put on her helmet, and waited for her wife to put on hers before she replied. “I love you too.”
“Oh yeah, I forgot about the speaker. You ready to go baby?”
In response, Natalia revved the engine and slowly drove out, leaving Calleigh staring at her back. Muttering to herself, Calleigh once again forgot about the microphone and the speaker in the helmets. “Lord, she has a nice ass.”
Natalia’s voice purred in her ear. “Why thank you my love. So do you.”
Calleigh carefully pulled out of the driveway and pulled up alongside Natalia at the stop sign. “Hey! Would you mind if I meet you there? I just remembered that there’s something that I need to do.”
“No, I don’t mind. Just be careful and I’ll see you when you get there.”
“Ok, I love you darlin’.”
With that, Calleigh turned and rode in the opposite direction from the stables while Natalia continued on.
~*~
After a fifteen-minute ride, Calleigh was pulling up in front of Cristine’s house and shutting off the bike. Taking off her helmet, she tried to straighten up her appearance before she walked up the walkway and knock on the front door.
After a few moments, Cristine opened the door with a look of surprise on her face.
“Hey! What are you doing here? Is Natalia alright?”
“Hey, she’s fine. I was wondering if I could speak with Alejandro for a few minutes.”
Stepping aside, Cristine answered. “Yeah, of course. He’s out back with the girls. You know the way.”
Walking through the comfortable home, Calleigh made her way out onto the stone patio. As soon as she walked through the sliding doors, Isabel squealed. “Tia Calleigh!” and ran up to her.
“Hiya, Izzy B! How are you today?”
“I’m good. Are you here to play with us?”
Kneeling down until she was eye level with the little girl. “No sweetie. I’m here to talk with your grandpa for a minute, but I’ll come back and play with you another day.”
With that, the little girl was happy and she ran to play on the trampoline.
Standing up, Calleigh turned towards Natalia’s father who was seated on a patio chair.
“Sir, I know this is an unusual situation considering everything and I don’t know if I’m doing this right, but I’m just gonna go ahead and do it. “
Taking a deep breath, Calleigh stood up straight, confident in her insecurity having never asked this before. She began, watching Natalia's fathers eyes. “Alejandro, I respectfully request permission to marry your daughter, Natalia. I promise that she will never want for anything, that I will never give her a reason to cry and will love her until the day I die. I may not be what you expected for your daughter, but I respect her and will support her in everything that she endeavors. I vow to protect her with every breath that I take.”
The patio was silent for a moment while Alejandro took in the young woman standing in front of him. It is true, she was not what he had first wanted for his daughter, but this woman had every good quality that he had wanting in Natalia’s partner.
Rising out of the chair, he stepped forward holding out his hand. “I believe you when you say that you will protect and love Natalia until the end of time. You have my permission to marry my daughter, Natalia and I once again welcome you to my family.”
Shaking his hand, Calleigh got a little bit emotional and hugged him also.
“Thank you; I don’t know what to say.”
He took a step back. “There is nothing more to say, you’ve said it already. You love my daughter, it’s that simple.”
“Yes sir, I certainly do.”
“So where is my lovely daughter?”
Wiping her hands against her jeans, Calleigh answered. “She’s at the stables riding Adonia. I’m on my way to meet her, but I wanted to do this first.”
“Go, be with her. Soon you will both have to be back at work and will wish for time together.”
“Thank you sir. We’ll see you tonight at the rehearsal.”
Shaking the man’s hand again, Calleigh headed back inside to say her goodbyes to Cristine and was immediately enveloped in a hard hug.
“Thank you so very much for that. You have no idea how much that meant to him. He was always upset that Nick had talk Natalia into eloping and hadn’t ask for his approval. If he didn’t know how much you love and respect Natalia before, he does now. And like he said, welcome to the family.”
Calleigh hugged her back and said. “I just wanted him to know that I’m not like Nick and that I’ll always be there for her.”
Taking a step back, Cristine shook her head slightly. “Listen Blondie. He knows, we all do, how much you love Talia. Now get out of here and go riding with her.”
With that, Calleigh headed out to the stables.
~*~
After Calleigh rode off, Natalia turned in the direction of the stables and carefully drove through traffic. Taking her time, she was still glad when she pulled into the parking lot of the stables as some of the drivers just didn’t pay attention to motorcycles. She sent a little prayer in Calleigh’s direction, hoping that she would take it slow.
Taking off her helmet, she got off the bike and headed up into the stables where they had Adonia and Beltran boarded. Reaching into the backpack, she brought out an apple that she had quartered and handed one piece to Adonia and another to the black horse.
“Hello handsome. No, Calleigh hasn’t forgotten about you. She had to go do something and then she’s gonna be here to ride you, so don’t worry.”
Turning back to her own grey horse, Natalia gave her another piece of apple, chuckling as the horses soft lips grazed against her hand.
“Hey girl, are you ready to go out for a ride?”
The horse’s head bobbed up and down in the answer to her question as Tommy the groom came up to the stall.
“Hello Mrs. DuVista, wanna take her out for a run?”
Turning to the young man, Natalia flashed him a smile. “It’s Natalia and yes I do. Calleigh will be along after awhile to take out Beltran.”
In a few minutes, the groom had Adonia saddled and readied to go. Natalia wrote a quick note and left it with him for Calleigh, telling her in which direction she was going.
After getting a boot up from the groom, Natalia settled herself in the saddle and headed out. The quiet sounds of the wind, the birds, and the gentle plops of the horse hooves against the ground started to relax the caramel haired woman. Almost by second nature, she guided the horse through the clearly marked trail and headed down near the glades.
In the shadows of the trees and tall waving grasses, Natalia thought that she began to hear whispers.
She took a minute to look around, Adonia following suit with her ears perked forward. The horse sidestepped away from the tree they were standing next to, and then pulled her body to look straight into it. Turning her head she watched, this time it was Natalia who looked and smiled.
“Thanks girl, I know I’m not insane. There’s nothing there, just the wind in the trees.” She reached down, petting the silvery gray coat. Adonia walked on down the trail a ways before Natalia relaxed totally and loosened the hold on the reins. Adonia moved a little faster, putting an ear back to listen, when no denial came, she started to move faster, until they were in a flat run, nothing but a streamline dust trail behind them. Natalia leaned forward, letting their rhythm take her away. She let go of the reins, opening her arms, wrapping her legs tighter around Adonia’s girth. Natalia closed her eyes and smiled, her mind draining itself. Flashes of Jethro, Nick, Stetler, Calleigh’s pain, and her own started fading. Adonia did a mini jump over some logs, but kept in step. Natalia’s hips moving with the horse before she opened her eyes to leaned forward and gripped onto the horse’s mane and the reins. Natalia quietly hissed, Adonia pushed harder, running to the point her hooves barely touched the ground. They hit the beach, slowing only to get down to the water before picking up the pace on the wet sand. Adonia snorted before slowing when Natalia leaned back, letting go of the mane.
“Shhh... Shhh... Save some energy love.” Smiling, she patted the horse’s neck, and then looked out at the beach as they walked along another good ten minutes. Both of them were breathing deep and hard, Adonia whinnied making Natalia laugh. “It certainly is gorgeous.” Natalia slid off the beast and came up to her head, hugged the neck. She smiled, running her nails down the silver lined throat. She walked away from the horse that trotted up from behind when she found the brunette wasn’t standing right next to her anymore. Natalia chuckled and turned around, then jogged away. Adonia reared and trotted after her. Laughing harder, Natalia unsaddled her, and then took the bridle off, a risky move with any new horse in an area they don’t know. Adonia trotted away, then turned facing Natalia, backing up with every step Natalia took toward her. This time it was Adonia playing mouse, Natalia chased her, then flopped in the sand. Adonia perked her ears, and then pranced in place before walking over to the perfectly still Natalia, who jumped up saying “Boo!” Adonia jumped away and ran around in circles, rearing and bucking before coming back to Natalia and nudging her with her head.
Natalia wrapped her arms around the massive head. “You are adorable... So perfect.” She stroked along the horses jaw, resting her head between the horses ears. Adonia nudged her toward the water, then pranced passed her, pawing at the water. “Oh no you don’t! We aren’t getting all wet to ride home; all salty and uncomfortable!” Adonia came up, nuzzling her muscular, but baby soft upper lip into her Natalia’s stomach, and then nibbled on her shirt pulling her as she backed up.
Not a minute later then were both nearly waist high in the surf. “Oh, you are in for it now!!!” She swims to Adonia’s side and slides on. Adonia neighed and started walking up until she was almost out of the water. Natalia gripped her mane and wrapped her legs around the horse tight. Adonia was off again, from a walk to a run in no time, Natalia smiled and laughed like she was a kid again.
In the meantime, Calleigh took her time to get to the stables. She pulled up next to Natalia’s bike after nearly kicking in a few car doors. Sighing, she slipped off and walked up to the stables.
“Afternoon Mrs. DuVista. Shall I get Beltran out for you? Here is a note from Natalia.”
Calleigh nodded her head “Oh! Could you grab the tack, I’ll do it myself. Thank you and thank you for passing the note along! And call me Calleigh”
Calleigh neared the black stallion’s stall when she heard a whiny from the beast before his ears perked up and he was at the gate. “Well, hello to you too handsome!” She smiles, moving into the stall, placing her hand on his head, stroking the soft fur. The tack appeared seemingly out of thin air. Pausing she looked at Beltran, who nudged her toward the tack; she laughed and put it all on. Once she was done, she walked him out of the stall and locked it back up. She swung herself on and headed out in the direction proclaimed by the note.
Beltran got prancy when finally Calleigh let him loose after a good thirty minutes of walking down the glades. He gave a little rear before jumping into a run. Calleigh hung on tight, leaning into him. Standing up on stirrups at his sides, she stood over his back just high enough to stay completely still, minus her arms which moved with the horses neck. She slowed him down, running him unknowingly, in the opposite direction from Natalia and Adonia. She laughed when he started running along the water’s edge. It looked like rain was pouring from the sky with how high the water was kicked up from his hooves. Soon they came to a stop when she patted his neck and turned around, he was prancing, ready for more, but she held him back, walking just out of the water.
Calleigh got off him as she decided she needed to give her legs a rest after the run. The Roman nose pushed her forward playfully before he pranced in place again, with “Come on, let’s play” eyes and both ears perked forward. She pushed his head playfully. At that, he jogged around her in circles as she walked. Then she made him jump away when she sat down almost instantly. He came up beside her and sniffed at her, staying there perfectly still for as long as she sat. His ears perked when her heard a neigh, then called back, getting no response, he tried again, and then looked down at Calleigh. She sighed happily and got up, brushing the sand off her. She patted him on the head and jumped back on him. They pranced slowly along the soft sand, he was showing off for her, and she loved every moment of it. She leaned down hugging his neck. “You good sir, amaze me.” She smiled rubbing his neck. Walking down the beach a ways, they jogged up a small incline where she stopped him, her eyes wide open, and her jaw dropped.
Watching Natalia play like a child with Adonia was something she knew she could only witness once in her life. She slid off Beltran and came up to his face, running her hands the length of his head, keeping him quiet while they watched on. When Natalia was pulled into the water, she couldn’t help, but chuckle. She nudged Beltran. “You two certainly know us well. Nothing has ever made either of us feel so free and full of life beside each other. Thanks to you two...” She hugged his head, watching them before scratching all the right spots. “...we even get something we can’t give each other.” He nickered as quietly as possible to her and pressed the front of his head along her side. “This is my freedom... standing here watching her carefree. Thanks to you, of course, knowing where to find our ladies.” When Natalia and Adonia started running around in the water, without any tack on Calleigh smirked. “Long hard ride huh... we’ll see about that.” Beltran nearly nudged her onto the ground, and Calleigh couldn’t help, but laugh and kiss his nose. “I’m sorry, I can’t help it, my wife looks hot. You know your girlfriend does too!” They watched for another half hour as the brunette and her silver horse played on the beach like little kids. Everything from tag, to lying on the ground, Adonia even rolled a few times much to Natalia’s demise, but Adonia quickly ran back in the water ‘rinsing off’ and ran back to Natalia, shaking off the water. After Adonia was dry, Natalia put all her tack back on and slid up.
She looked around sighing happily. Catching glimpse of shiny blonde hair, she blushed a deep, deep red.
Riding up to Calleigh and Beltran, she smiled. “Hey you two...” She looked down, toying with the silver mane.
“Hey darlin’.” Calleigh’s megawatt smile was shining brighter than the sun itself.
“How long have you two been hanging out up here?” Brown eyes sought green, giving her the shyest look anyone has ever seen on Natalia’s face. True innocence.
“I dunno, long enough to see Adonia pull you into the water, giving you no choice, but to play! Darlin’, I’ve never seen you so honestly happy in my life. Not a worry in the world and I loved every moment of it. So if you ever want to come back here by yourself with her, please just tell me.” Smiling, she watched Natalia swing Adonia over to stand beside Beltran, leaning over to kiss her wife lovingly.
Natalia smirked into the kiss and with a light nudge against Calleigh’s lips, they pulled apart just enough for her to whisper “Race you back.”
A deep moan escaped Calleigh, “You’re on, whoever wins gets that ride...” Special Calleigh smile. “...at the house.”
They both pulled apart at the same time and lightly kicked their horses with a deep hiss. Beltran leap started costing him the head start. Natalia laughed looking under her arm at her wife. Beltran pinned his ears once Calleigh set gripping his mane and standing in her stirrups. They were nose to nose smirking and snickering at one another. The dust trail behind them was minimal as they were moving so fast. They both slowed the horses at the same tree that Natalia and Adonia spooked at and the wives smiled at one another.
“I dunno, I think we were nose to nose.” Natalia looked down, smirking like the devil.
“I think you are right on that one darlin’. We are perfectly matched to one another.”
“C’mon lets cool these guys down in the arena, then get some lunch.” Natalia nudged Calleigh, whose eyes were sparkling with her imagination reeling.
Calleigh snapped out of it, nodding looking up with a smile. “Sounds good darlin’, ladies first.” Calleigh waited, allowing Natalia to enter the arena first. The women took a good ten minutes to allow the horses to walk around, and another ten without their tack on. With a last brushing, they put the horses in their stalls.
“Well darlin’, watching you play with Adonia and all this flying free made me hungry. What do you say we go to lunch?” Calleigh smiles as she enlaces her fingers with Natalia, kissing her fingertips, then tugged Natalia’s body against hers and leaned between the two stalls.
“You wanna to go over to Del’s for something to eat? We’ve got about five hours before we need to be at the rehearsal and before I forget again, I’m gonna go over to Alexx’s house to get ready. She’s got something special planned that I said that I would help out with so I’ll have to meet you at the monastery.”
Leaning in to capture Calleigh’s lips with her own, Natalia gave her a slow leisurely kiss. “Mmm, yeah then I guess we should go grab something to eat. Thank you for a lovely morning babe. It was the most fun that I’ve had in a long time.”
“Darlin’, you don’t have to thank me for this. This will now be a normal thing for us to do, sharing our day with our new kids, but I do agree that it was a lot of fun… Come on, I’ll meet you at Del’s.”
Grabbing their helmets and backpacks, they said goodbye to the horses and to Tommy the groom before walking down to the bikes. Giving Calleigh one final kiss before she put on her helmet, Natalia whispered, “I love you.,” before she pulled away.